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Pope Urban VIII

Type Figure Region Papal States Time 1568–1644 Also known as Urban VIII

Maffeo Barberini, a cardinal from Florence, Italy, was elected Pope Urban VIII in 1623 and reigned until 1644, patronizing Baroque art and architectu…

Timeline

  1. 1568–1623Florence · TuscanyBarberini was born to a prominent Florentine family, received humanist and theological education in Pisa and Florence, held various papal diplomatic and Holy See posts, and was raised to cardinal in 1606. From 1621 to 1623 he continued to take part in papal governance as a cardinal, laying the groundwork for his later election as pope.
  2. 1623–1644Vatican, Rome · Papal StatesAfter his election as pope in 1623 he pursued hardline Counter-Reformation policies and conducted diplomacy with France and Spain. He greatly patronized artists such as Bernini in transforming St. Peter's Basilica and the face of Rome; he at one point expressed support for Galileo, and the papal scientific controversies of the 1620s continued to simmer under his reign, shaping the image of papal authority in the Baroque era.

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